welcome! jeremy freese is a professor in sociology at northwestern university. he finds blogging to be a good diversion from insomnia and a far better use of time than television.

Wednesday, July 20, 2005

still unresolved

I have no idea what I am going to do with my car. I don't want to take it with me to Cambridge. I bought it 17 months ago on a 0% 36-month loan with no money down. Which means I'm about halfway done paying for it. I have no idea how much I could sell it for now. If somebody wanted to rent it while I was gone, I have no idea what would be a fair price to ask. I don't know what options I might have for storing it. I don't even know how exactly to go about figuring out answering these questions. Sometimes I feel like I am forever Not Ready For Prime Time, at least in terms of the basic demands of acumen required in This Modern World. Or at least like the sort of person who begins to feel overwhelmed by circumstances that normal people wouldn't even find whelming at all.

I need one of those WWJD bracelets, only instead of being a bracelet it would look like a watch, and instead of the "J" it would have different initials at different locations on the dial for which friend would be the best choice to try to channel in a particular situation. Here, I suspect, I would have it set to What Would Tom Bozzo Do?

25 comments:

I thought it was pretty bad for cars to leave them undriven for long stretches of time (I mean, beyond leaching the battery dead), but then again, I have never owned one and didn't get my license until I was 21, so I could totally be making this up in my head.

Sanity speaks. Keep the car. Bring it to Cambridge. You are in a GREAT neighborhood for finding street parking (you'll have a sticker that allows parking all over Cambridge!)But more. There are so many places you'll want to drive to around Cambridge. The Cape, sure. But New Hampshire and Vermont, too. Only an hour or two away. And don't forget Rhode Island (I could tell you soooo much). Without a car, oh guy you won't like it. Sure, you can rent one when you need to, but to escape for a couple of hours even out to Concord or .... (well, I'll save that for another time). THINK MAN.

Ooh, ooh! After you move, a bunch of us could caravan up to see your new digs and, basically, eat all your food and drink all your beer. Then you'd have your car but wouldn't have to drive up yourself or pay for that service thing they have.

drive the car to cambridge. seems to me that this may be a great opportunity for you to buy more books for the iPod. for my 10 hour drive from ann arbor to philly - i'm debating b/w learning something (like german philosophical writings from the 19th C) or hearing the "DaVinci Code" - a book i'd never read but that tom hanks movie's coming out soon! - catherine

But: why was everyone telling me I wouldn't need a car in Cambridge, until I paid through the nose to get an apartment that was close to everything, and now everyone is telling me I should bring my car out there?

You DON'T need a car IN Cambridge. You need a car to GET OUT of Cambridge. During work days, you WILL walk and enjoy doing it. Go into Boston, take the T (if you like, but not on a special night date). You will walk a lot in Boston. BUT .... You posted a map, so I see you can easily find a place to park (on Francis Ave., if not on your street). That's great! Rare in Cambridge. Good location.You'll visit Harvard 'scholars' in their homes — often in the suburbs. You'll need a car to get out to Lexington, Lincoln, Concord etc.

It's true: best for you to be in the middle of Cambridge (where you'll be). And have a car to get out of Cambridge — not vice versa.Get some beer or whatever and invite folks in after a Harvard day. They'll love it (oh, maybe some cheese on hand). Things will take off from there.